High on Craddock Moor, just a stones throw from one of Cornwall’s most famous stone circles The Hurlers, is a less known but no less important Craddock Moor stone circle.
Cornwall has been inhabited since the early stone age and is has more than its share of ancient sites. Particularly areas such as West Cornwall and Bodmin Moor are covered with quoits, stone circles, forts and fougos.
Dating from the Early to Middle Bronze Age (2500-1000 BCE) this particular stone circle is unusual compared to others in that all of the stones are recumbent. Thought to be used for rituals it likely had astrological implications as well. It may have been built to align with a nearby stone row, The Hurlers, Stowe’s Hill or even Brown Willy.
Lots of disturbance has affected the site over time from stone workers, farming, mine prospecting, peat drying and a Cadbury Cream Egg hunt. It would have originally been standing like all of the others, with maybe up to 27 stones. There are only 17 left, all of which are lying down, with one just a stump.
Access is free to everyone on common land. As the stones are all taking a nap, it does make them easy to miss; there is a marker for the site on Google Maps and the OS coordinates are SX 2486 7183.
There is ample free parking in the village of Minions.
Craddock Moor stone circle (2021). Available at: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/strategic-historic-environment-service/cornwall-and-scilly-historic-environment-record/access-to-monuments/find-by-name/find-monuments-by-name/a-e/craddock-moor-stone-circle/.
Historic England (1992) Craddock Moor stone circle and adjacent peat-stack platform 800m NNE of Trewalla Farm. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1010329.
Sharpe, A. (1989) The Minions Survey Part 2. Truro. Available at: http://map.cornwall.gov.uk/reports_event_record/1989/1989R019.pdf.